12.3 - With You, Forever

Elaina pulled back from me and sat straddled on my lap.

"Ela...why...did you...?"

"I'm sorry, Jace," she said softly, and I noticed two tears fall from her eyes—our heads so close together for the first time. "I'm really sorry about everything. You were right. I should have been honest with you at the start. I just...I was so afraid you'd hate me."

"I'm sorry, too," I answered. "For how I acted. I just...lost my cool. Hell, I hurt you a bit, huh?"

"Call it a lovers' quarrel, you damn arrowhead."

"Yeah," I smiled.

We kissed again.

She grinned at me when we pulled away again. "So, you...can control your powers now, I see."

"I think so...maybe?" I never admitted it to her, but I wanted to do more. After so long, would this really have been the right time?

No, probably not. There was more we had to focus on.

"I'm glad we got to share this together," Elaina said.

"Finally, right?"

A wide smile found its way on her face. "Mhm...finally."

She got off me and we stood up.

I glanced around her ruined living room.

"Ah, right," I scratched my head as the guilt washed over me. "S-Sorry about...uh...all this."

I scrambled to a fallen pile of books and artifacts, and I tried to carry as many as I could to set on a table.

Elaina laughed to herself as she watched me struggle.

She rested her hands on her hips. "You don't have to do that, y'know?"

"Huh?" I looked at her as I tried reaching for the ninth book in my reach.

"Here, I got it."

Elaina weaved her hands a few times, producing a streak of purple and golden light that followed her fingertips.

Immediately, all of the items that were scattered about the hardwood of the living room moved back into place—just as they were before our little scuffle. A fallen shelf arched back up and stood perfectly aligned with its twin against one wall. The lamps that ran along the wall opposite were all glowing now with the same orange embers. And even the hole I caused when I pushed Elaina through the wall by the stairs rejuvenated to its former look.

Within five minutes, the entire living room was spotless, clean of any Magical debris and broken objects.

All except for one thing, in particular.

I walked over to the other sofa across the room and picked up Elaina's silver-covered Spellbook resting on a cushion.

"Last thing," I said to her as I returned with it.

I held the Grimoire out to her and she took it.

She stared at its cover. "Y'know, this is the second time you gave this back to me."

"I'll return it to you as many times as I need to," I declared. "It belongs with you, after all. Your grandmother entrusted it to you, so it's your responsibility, and, well, I don't mind keeping an eye on it, too."

"Jace..." Elaina stared at me and smiled again. "I, um...Now that we've cleared this up, I...I'd like to share something with you, if you don't mind."

I looked around the living room and noticed we were still in the dark void of whatever pocket dimension Elaina put us in to hash out our grievances with each other.

"I think I have time," I chuckled.

"Yeah," she said. "I'd like to teach you a Spell, actually."

I frowned. "Wait, what? Ela, are you sure? I mean, I-I'd love to, but are you sure now's a good—"

"Yes," she said confidently, "Now is the best time out of any. In fact, I don't believe we'll have any other chance after tonight."

"All right," I nodded once. "Shoot. What am I learning?"

"You're going to learn just one Spell: how to destroy my Spellbook."

"Sounds good, I—...Huh...? Wait, what?! Destroy it?!" I met her eyes, but Elaina just stared back, serious. "You're kidding."

"I'm not," she answered, "And it's very important that you learn how to do this right."

"But...why would you have me learn thi—"

"Because if I...if something ever happens to me...If I...don't survive our fight against Ambrigado, then..."

She looked away from me.

I hesitated to hold her shoulders with my gloved hands, but I fought against my nervousness and gently turned her back to me.

"Ela...tell me what I need to know. Tell me what you're thinking."

She looked into my eyes with a heartfelt understanding I had never seen in her before.

Elaina took a deep breath. "If anything were to happen to me...where I can no longer fight, my Spellbook needs to be destroyed. As much as I'd like you to have it if I ever died, this kind of book should never fall into the hands of anyone, especially Vanessa or Ambrigado."

"But Ambrigado, uh, Molecruel doesn't even believe in Magic. I thought he was all aboard on the Science Train?"

"No, he doesn't believe in Magic, but he's aware of its powers—of what it can do. That's why...we'll need to stop him together."

"We will."

"And if necessary...I need you to destroy this, my Spellbook, if the moment ever comes. Can you do that for me, Jace?"

"...I will. Whatever you need me to do."

"All right, then, open to page 743."

Elaina held out her left hand and the Spellbook levitated in the air. With a gentle nudge forward, it floated to me, opening on its own. As I flipped through its pages, the book seemed to get heavier and heavier, as though new pages were somehow manifesting despite how thin it actually looked.

"Ok," I said as I reached the page. "Is this it?"

"Yeah. Read over the words of the Spell carefully. Let each word sink into your mind. And relax. I'm not asking you to memorize this in one night. Just repeat the words in your head—beat for beat."

My eyes followed the handwritten incantation, from every character and punctuation, down to the last period.

Oh, Lord of Spirits. Oh, Lady of Mortals. I return this treasure, this collection, to your solemn library. That I, your servant, relinquish my claim to this tome and the secrets within. I ask of you, accept my offering, and return this book to Lady Ceriana, whom it rightfully belongs. By your divine majesties, I cast aside the chains binding this book on Earth. Release!

I ran my finger along the words multiple times, repeating them in my head.

Each time, another question popped into my head. Why did this Spell refer to Isah and Anya without naming them? What was this "solemn library" they have somewhere? How did this Spellbook even leave their possession in the first place? Who was this "Lady Ceriana"? Surely, not another figure as powerful as Anya, right? And...

If I didn't know any better, this Spell sounded more like a prayer than a demand, unlike all the Spells I've heard Elaina chant before.

Somehow, I felt a sense of calm overtake me, as though reading this Spell over and over again made me feel at ease.

As if I were in...

"So?" Elaina's voice drew me back. "What do you think?"

"I...think I have it, uh...Maybe just a bit."

"No problem."

Elaina walked over and turned the Spellbook to her. She placed both her hands on the two open pages.

"A-Ahem!" she cleared her throat. "I, Elaina Yoshinaga, do hereby grant access and full readership to Jacen Jacinto."

The pages flashed a glow of violet light and Elaina closed it.

"There," she said.

I met her eyes.

"I enchanted my Spellbook to accept your touch whenever you take hold of it. I figure this would be the most practical countermeasure, just in case."

"Yeah..." I nodded slowly. "Just...in case. Thank you, Ela."

I returned her hug and she snapped her fingers.

When I opened my eyes again, we were back in her living room and out of the pocket dimension.

Elaina stepped in front of me with the Spellbook. "Let's stop Ambrigado, together, Jace. Let's put an end to his schemes—just as we planned."

I nodded to her as she wrapped her arms around me.

"We'll stop him. Together," I repeated. "We'll protect Ave Strata. The people...Whether they're Normals or Abnormals, or...Mages..."

She smiled at me.

I smiled back. "We'll protect them all from Ambrigado. We will. And then..."

Elaina kissed me on the cheek. "And then I can be with you, forever."

“Oh, gimme a break!” a girl’s voice suddenly resounded in the air.

Elaina and I panicked, looking around the restored living room.

A cloud of red and black smoke passed cleanly through Elaina’s front door and expanded into a thick fog.

And walking out of it was Vanessa Vilana, now draped in a black robe that stopped just above her ankles, with ornate red runes flowing along her sleeves and down to her legs.

She stood before the fog, glaring first Elaina, then at me. “And to think, Molecruel actually believed his little convo with you would work!”

I blinked. “Vanessa…? How…How did you—“

“—find my house?” Elaina finished.

Vanessa jeered at her. “…If you really wanted to conceal your house of horrors, maybe don’t manifest a pocket dimension.”

I turned to Elaina. “What…does she mean?”

My girlfriend lowered her head, thinking. “She must have been close enough to detect the pocket dimension’s Magic signature when I made it. That means…you were actively…”

“Looking for your crib?” Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. Call it a lucky find, really. The barrier surrounding this house was old and weak—much like your Obaa-chan was.” A smirk widened on her face. “And how lucky I am to be able to kill the two of you. Once and for ALL!”